Device for gauging the water level in the bottom of hydrocarbon tanks and the like



2,617,302 THE IKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 VEL IN D THE L L. MA GING T Nov. 11, 1952 SSIOT HE WATER LE DEVICE FOR G BOTTOM OF H OCARBON TANKS AN Filed Jan. 17, 1948 Illl ll'll-l I linli WI! 1 mm "1 1 lllHliiHll 1C 8 mm. m T s N 8 M M m 1? mM4. 8 Z a Y 8.

A RZE WW N I I 'H 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1952 MASSIOT DEVICE FOR GAUGING THE WATER LEVEL IN THE BOTTOM OF HYDROCARBON TANKS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 17, 1948 INVENTOR Lam's Masszoz MASSIOT 2,6171302 DEVICE FOR GAUGING THE WATER LEVEL IN THE BOTTOM OF HYDROCARBON TANKS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 17, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Louis Massza Mu 3? ATTOR Ys Nov. 11, 1952 MASSIOT 2,617,302

DEVICE FOR GAUGING THE WATER LEVEL IN THE BOTTOM OF HYDROCARBON TANKS AND THE LIKE Flled Jan 17, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTPR Louis Masszo BY mu,

Patented Nov. 11, 1952 U ED AT ENT j 2,617,302

IDEV-ICE FOR-GAUGING THE WATER'LEVEL IN "THE ;BOTTOM E :HYDROCARBQN TANKS .AND 533E LIKE Qfi Ma sip'tiliaris ce as sn i fl w:

"Bernie ra i ss aifihas isfifiife e 1?- i y'me'L-Baris, France, a companyof the French e nant swingin -J nu r 17, 1948, se ial'nolzbsz irr tant-e June"23',1947 (01. 73-298) 4 Claims.

The storage tanks for hydrocarbons; g'aso'line, solvent, kerosene,;gas-'-oil, 1etc.,contain always a certain amount of water which collectsatthe bottom of the tank.

In order'to know the exact volume or the hydrocarbon stored in the tank, as we'll as-to know when the emptying of' the tank has tofbe stopped so as to avoid withdrawing therefrom water instead of hydrocarbon, one hasioften to determine accurately the level of the hydrocarbon in the tank.

This is done usually by means of gauge cocks or by means of a gauge-glass. These devices,'besides their common drawback, which consists in presenting on the outer wall'of the tank tubes of relatively small diameter exposed'to shocks and liable to breakage, present other inconveniences peculiar to each of them; thegauge cocks cannot give the desired level "indication'w hlsufiicient accuracy as this latter is limits the distance between two successive c ks, and the gauge-glass, while giving'this in ibiailon with ad equate accuracy, is exposed not :onlyito breakage by shock, as the gauge cocks; butalsotoj'breakag by water congelation' at freezingiternper,

The present invention has f0r o ect to provide a gauging method ,of the pabovledeiined type, which will avoid all these 'dra'wb'acksjand inconveniences and which will be adaptable to all liquids lighter than water, insolubletheitelhyand normally immiscibletherewith.

It has also'for its object devices for..l carr'yin g out this improved method.

Essentially the methodaccording to the present invention consists in Withdrawingla'liquidijsa nple from the bottom of thel-tank in rthefformrifsa continuous small discharge and'by means of a movable sounding-tube, while -lifting lprhgr'essively this movable tube awayfromis "d bottom; in observing whenthis tube v.stopsQd isicharging. water and starts discharging Ihyd' other lighter-than-water liquid; stopping-then the lifting of said tube; ianfdrinemfea'suringlfthe lift thus eifected'to determine/thecorresponding depth of water in the bottom ofsai'ditankl w A preferred embodiment of .the device ;for carrying out the method pf the invention coinprises essentially a gauge-tube, orsounding-i lbe mounted near the bottom offthe. tank, preferably with a certain inclination, and--capabljeoff I: ing along its own axis through.a .stiiffing b.ox.

An index is fixed on thelp'art of. said tube, remains constantly outside thetank, and

dex moves opposite a fixed graduated seal :so.

as to allow'formeasuring the axial displacements given to the said gauge-tube. in practice, this gauge-tube is preferably mountedcoaxially within a tubular envelope or casing of relatively-large diameterf-branched onthe'tank-near-the bottom thereof, i

An embodiment of said device and difierent modifications-braid embodiment are shown, as examples in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a section, more or less "schematic, showing 'the essential features of this device;

Fig. 2 is a'longitudinal section of said embodiment,

Fig. '3 is a section made along line 3- 3 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 to lare"longitudinal sectionssirnilarto Fig. 2 and'showing 'difierent'modifications ofsaid embodiment; and

As shown in Fig. 1, the device comprises essentially a cylindrical ca tin l of relatively large diameter *(for instance about mm.). This casing is tightly secured at an angle of about 45 to theside wall'of'the tank T' with its lower open part dipping into the tank close'tp the bottom thereof and provided with a 'hole2'insuring" that the level 'ofthe hydrocarbon is the same in'the casing and in the tank.

A coaxialfsounding-tube 3, ofrelatively small diameter, is slidablyfmounted in a stuifing box'4 closing the upper-end of the casingil. Theaxial travel of "this tube'3 with respect to the "fixed casing l is adapted'to correspond'to the maximum water depth tobe measured. Anindex 5, carried by the sounding-tube 3, movesjtherewith withrespect to a fixed graduated scale 6 secured to e upper end oft e as A co'cki T is mounted on 'the'upper end 'of the soundingtube 3 while the open lower end thereof can'be slid from the bottom to the top of the water: contained in the bottom of the tank I.

A compound rigid and flexible pipe 8 leads the liquid flowing out of the cock I to an open mouth 9,"fr,om-,where' it falls into afunnel I 0.

The operation of this device is as follows:

The sounding-tube 3, being in its lowermost position, one opens'the cock "I. -As the level of the. hydrocarbon in the .tank Tis higher than the top of the pipefil, water starts then .tol'flow intolt'hje funnel l0; One slides then the sounding-tube obliquely upwards, while constantly'checking' thev nature of the liquid fiow out of 9. When smalluantities of hydrocarbon appear together with't'he section made along line 3 water, one knows that the lower open end of the sounding-tube has reached the level of separation of the two superposed liquids, i. e. water and hydrocarbon. One reads then directly the depth of the water contained in the tank T on the graduated scale 6 opposite the index 5.

The device just described presents the following advantages over the known devices:

1. It is very accurate, especially if one bevels horizontally the lower open end of the soundingtube 3, as shown at II in Fig. l.

2. If one is careful, between measurement periods, to return the sounding-tube to its lowermost position, the leaking or even the breaking of the cock 'Iconstituting the only relatively fragile part of the devicewill produce only a loss of water and give time to remedy the situation before any hydrocarbon starts to leak.

3. The relative position of the casing I with respect to the tank T is such that it is constantly filled with hydrocarbon and therefore not subject to freezing.

4. If, after each measuring operation, one is careful to lift first the sounding-tube until some hydrocarbon starts to flow and to close the cock before one lowers said tube back in its position of rest, this tube also will remain filled with hydrocarbon and therefore not subject to freezmg.

In practice, the schematic device just described may take the form of different embodiments which include preferably the progressive displacement of the sounding-tube, for instance by means of a screw system, and which comprise complementary auxiliary devices of safety.

Some of these possible embodiments will now be described as illustrative examples.

In the one shown Figure 2, the sounding-tube 3 is threaded as at I2 to receive a nut I3, provided with a hand-wheel I4. This nut is rotatably mounted in a bracket I fixed on the upper end of the casing I around the stuffing-box 4. On the other hand, the sounding-tube 3 is prevented from turning in said stufiing-box 4 by means of a slider 5, secured thereon in any suitable manner and having the U-shaped crosssection shown Fig. 3. The two branches of this U form an index and saddle a graduated scale 6 carried by the bracket I5. It will thus be seen that the sounding-tube 3 can be moved axially by manual rotation of the hand-wheel I4. The beveled lower end II of the sounding-tube 3 is provided with four straightening fins I6 preventing it from bending under its own weight and acting as sliding guides along the inner periphery of the casing I.

In the modification shown in Figure 4, two supplementary conditions are realized, i. e.: the elimination of any outer piping between the upper end of the sounding-tube 3 and the funnel IO, and the elimination of any communication between the tank T and the atmosphere when the sounding-tube is in its lowermost position of rest.

The first of these conditions is realized by the fact that the support or bracket I5 is tubular and forms here a chamber provided at its lower end with a discharge pipe I! and simply split longitudinally along its upper generatrix to give passage to a finger-shaped index 5. The liquid contained in the sounding-tube 3 is admitted into this chamber I5 through an orifice or port I8 pierced in the wall of the tube 3. The position shown at I8 is the middle position of said port. Its extreme positions, 'corresponding re- 4 spectively to the uppermost and the lowermost positions of the sounding-tube 3, are shown at I9 and 20.

The second condition is realized by the fact that the lower end of the sounding-tube may be brought to a level slightly lower than the bottom of the tank T, the supplementary downward travel thus obtained being sufficient to bring the port I8 into a lowermost position 2I located below the stuffing-box 4. This obviously necessitates the provision in the bottom of the tank T of a small cup 22 to allow for this supplementary travel of the sounding-tube.

The modification of Figure 5 is identical to the embodiment of Figure 4, with the exception that the communication between the tank and the atmosphere through the pipe 3, the chamber I5 and the discharge tube-instead of being out in the lowermost position of rest of the sounding-tube by the slide-valve action of this latter-is cut in the uppermost position of the tube 3 by means of a valve 23, carried at the lower beveled end II of said tube 3 and cooperating then with a valve-seat 24. The provision of a cup 22 in the bottom of the tank T is still here necessary to lodge the valve 23 when the beveled edge II is substantially flush with the inner bottom of the tank T.

In the modification of Figure 6in which the liquid is discharged through a rigid and flexible pipe 8 as in Figures 1 and 2this cutting of the communication between the tank T and the atmosphere in the uppermost position of the sounding-tube, when the beveled edge II reaches the level II is obtained by means of a manual valve 25 which can then be brought, by means of a hand-wheel 26, against a valve-seat 21.

A stopper 28 allows for emptying the body of the valve 25, 21, when there exists a risk of freezing due to the fact that the water level in the tank reaches this body.

In the modification of Figures 7 and 8, the role of the manual valve 25 is played by a butterfiy valve 29, pivoted at 30 and which can be manually swung by means of a lever 3I so as to cover an opening 32 when the beveled edge II is in its uppermost position I I I claim:

1. A device for determining the level of the interface of two immiscible liquids present in an opaque tank which comprises a strong rigid casing mounted at a pre-determined oblique angle in an aperture in the side wall of said tank near the bottom thereof; a rigid sounding tube slidably mounted in said casing and adapted for axial movement within said casing; a stufiing box on the upper portion of said casing adapted to prevent liquid leaking from said tank; valvemeans on said tube to control and regulate the efilux of liquid from said tank through said tube; an indicator fixedly mounted on said tube; a bracket mounted on the upper portion of said casing; a scale mounted on said bracket and adapted to engage said indicator and prevent rotation of the sounding tube; said sounding tube being threaded at its upper portion and in engagement with corresponding threads of a hand wheel mounted on said bracket whereby rotation of the hand wheel results in axial movement of the sounding tube to bring said indicator to a rest position opposite said scale; said rest position being the point where the effluent liquid changes in character as the sounding tube is obliquely displaced; and said rest position directly indicating the vertical height of the lower liquid layer in the tank.

2. A device for determining the interface between two immiscible liquids in an opaque tank which comprises a rigid casing mounted at a pre-determined oblique angle in an aperture in the side walls of said tank near the bottom thereof; a rigid sounding tube slidably mounted in said casing and adapted for axial movement within said casing; said tube passing through a stufiing box on an upper portion of said casing; said tube also being threaded at its upper portion; said tube further being sealed at its upper extremity but having a liquid discharge orifice so posit oned on the tube that at the lowermost position of the tube said orifice is below the stufiing box; a bracket defining a chamber mounted on the upper portion of the casing; said bracket being surmounted by a rotatable threaded hand wheel in engagement with the upper threaded portion of the tube so that rotation of the hand wheel causes axial movement of the tube; and indicator and scale means mounted respectively on the tube and the bracket so that the liquid interface position is directly indicated by the determined rest position of the indicator on the scale.

3. A device according to claim 2 with the addition of a cap on the lower extremity of the tube, said cap engaging a valve-seat in said casing at the uppermost position of travel of said tube thereby preventing efiiux of liquid from the tank at said position.

4. A device according to claim 2 with the addition of a manual valve on the casing so positioned as to permit the sealing off of the efilux from the tank at the uppermost position of the tube; and means to drain the casing and tube when said tube is in its uppermost position.

LOUIS MASSIOT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,521,668 Bond Jan. 6, 1925 2,187,210 McDonald Jan. 16, 1940 2,267,221 Roney Dec. 23, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 308,939 Germany Sept. 2, 1917 

